Last night I got a chance to try the Modèle B in a blues/rock jam. It was a trio with guitar and drums. My signal chain was: P bass with flats -> Broughton HPF -> Fairfield Modéle B -> Quilter 101 Mini -> old Peavey 410 cabinet. I started the night with my compressor (Cali76) but decided I preferred the sound without it.

Once again, I couldn't find a single bad tone with the Fairfield. Even the most "extreme" knob settings were musically useful, in my opinion. By the end of the night, I was using this setting: maximum Volume, just a little bit of Gain, and just a little bit of Sag. It was pushing hard on the input of the Quilter (which was on the 'jazz' setting with the Gain at 4), resulting in a beautifully warm, rich, and organic tone.

For a relatively modest price, and a tiny bit of pedalboard real estate, the Modèle B is a winner!

Last night I got a chance to try the Modèle B in a blues/rock jam. It was a trio with guitar and drums. My signal chain was: P bass with flats -> Broughton HPF -> Fairfield Modéle B -> Quilter 101 Mini -> old Peavey 410 cabinet. I started the night with my compressor (Cali76) but decided I preferred the sound without it.

Once again, I couldn't find a single bad tone with the Fairfield. Even the most "extreme" knob settings were musically useful, in my opinion. By the end of the night, I was using this setting: maximum Volume, just a little bit of Gain, and just a little bit of Sag. It was pushing hard on the input of the Quilter (which was on the 'jazz' setting with the Gain at 4), resulting in a beautifully warm, rich, and organic tone.

For a relatively modest price, and a tiny bit of pedalboard real estate, the Modèle B is a winner!

The v1 has a little less gain and no switch. Both ME's sound the same. I have SN 017 on one of them, which in my mind sounds better than the other one...but that's all in my mind.

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SN 017...as in serial number?

And one mone question:
Should the Barbershop break up at minimum settings?( Drive all the way counterclockwise. Sag all the way clockwise and volume at unity with the toggle in the middle, running from a regular 1spot, with a passive single coil P bass going into it, no effects before or after)?

Should the Barbershop break up at minimum settings?( Drive all the way counterclockwise. Sag all the way clockwise and volume at unity with the toggle in the middle, running from a regular 1spot, with a passive single coil P bass going into it, no effects before or after)?

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I'd say no. It barely breaks up with gain at 2:00

Do you have one that is? Are you thinking there is something wrong with it?

Do you have one that is? Are you thinking there is something wrong with it?

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I need to investigate a little before any assessment but yes, I do seem to get some break up at the settings I described above.
I had one before which behaved very differently - seemed to have some issues. When it worked, it behaved more like you describe.
It ad a SN below 200. My current one is above 2000...

I guess 2:00 is a little high, it's probably closer to 12:00-1:00 where I can easily keep it clean with lighter playing, then get some grit when I dig in.

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It's been a year or two since I had a Barbershop to play with, but that sounds a little more realistic to my experience. I think I usually had mine at about 10:00-12:00 for subtle grit, but I also tend to hit my strings pretty hard.